Famous Tourettes

Throughout history there have been some famous people who have lived and succeeded with Tourette’s Syndrome. Below are some you might know.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

(1756-1791) In late 1992, the British Medical Journal published an article by endocrinologist Benjamin Simkin, M.D. speculating that Mozart had Tourette’s Syndrome. Apparently he wrote several letters to his cousin Maria that contained many obscene words, especially words having to do with bodily functions. It has also been documented that he was hyperactive, suffered from mood swings, had tics, and loved made-up words. Despite these behaviors, we will probably never know for certain whether Mozart had TS.

Jim Eisenreich

James Michael Eisenreich (born April 18, 1959 St. Cloud, Minnesota) is a former major league baseball player utility player with a 15-year career. He played for the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals of the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League. Eisenreich has Tourette’s syndrome (TS) his condition caused him to go on to the voluntary retirement list between 1984 and 1987 while he was undergoing treatment. Eisenreich resides in the Kansas City area with his wife Leann and four children. They run the Jim Eisenreich Foundation for Children with Tourette’s Syndrome which they founded in 1996. It helps children with TS to achieve personal success.

Dan Akroyd

Aykroyd was born on Dominion Day at the Ottawa General Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Dan was diagnosed with Tourette’s and Asperger syndromes at an early age, but the symptoms seem to have disappeared when he was around 14. The diagnosis of Asperger syndrome did not exist in the 1960s, when Aykroyd was a preteen. It involved mostly grunting and physical tics through nervousness.

Howie Mandel

Comedian and brains behind several television series, Howie Mandel has managed to live his life to the fullest possible while still dealing with his Tourette’s. He owns 2 different homes, including one that is kept sterile so that he can stay there free of germs in the event that his germ obsession kicks up. He has been known for television shows such as “Bobby’s World” and “St. Elsewhere.” Howie has made it clear that having Tourette’s has definitely not stopped him from reaching a great plateau many comedians would love; he has been voted as one of the 100 Best Stand Up Comedians of all time. Another piece of proof that Tourette’s does not stop success in careers.

Steve Wallace

Many NASCAR fans do not realize that Steve Wallace is another person that can be added to the list of famous people with Tourette’s syndrome. Many do not think it is possible to control the tics in order to drive at the speeds necessary in order to truly participate in NASCAR however, Steve has proven that is it very much possible to do.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

Basketball is not left out in terms of athletes with Tourette’s. Mahmoud is diagnosed with Tourette’s and has played for the Denver Nugget and the Sacramento Kings. He was formerly known as Chris Jackson and has been a great inspiration for those looking at athletics.